


queen of the tides, king of the country

by wafflesandkruge



Category: Nikolai Series - Leigh Bardugo, The Grisha Trilogy - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Finally, First Kiss, Fluff, OR IS IT, Secret Identities, Underwater Kiss, Yearning, pirate zoya, pirateverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 07:01:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27347044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wafflesandkruge/pseuds/wafflesandkruge
Summary: Sometimes Zoya looks at Nikolai and wishes there could be something more between them, that they weren't prince and pirate. So when one afternoon grants them a brief respite from their roles, Zoya takes the chance to seize just one perfect little possibility.aka pirate! zoya
Relationships: Nikolai Lantsov/Zoya Nazyalensky
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	queen of the tides, king of the country

**Author's Note:**

> I have a 30 page, 13k doc titled “pirate zoya lives in my head rent free” so here’s a bit of the story 🥺 🥺 not sure if it makes sense without context but yall deserve a treat lol
> 
> All you need to know is Zoya is captain of The Lilyana and Nikolai is a prince,,,,or is he

Zoya did all the rowing, not trusting the pampered prince to not accidentally tip them into the water while trying to propel them forwards. Anyways, she was the only person- other than Genya, of course- who knew of the existence of the location she was taking Nikolai. When she was younger and still crewing for Juris, she’d discovered the tiny cove on the north end of the Catacombs while diving for pearls. She hadn’t been there for ages, but it was the only piece of dry land near them that would hide them from prying eyes.

“Where are we going?” Nikolai asked eagerly. He couldn’t sit still. Their little boat rocked as he shifted around trying to take in the views. The hat she’d jammed on his head in an attempt to obscure his face was perched at a rakish angle, and someone- probably Genya- had given him small golden hoops for his ears. She was surprised his ears were pierced in the first place. Her idea of a proper prince didn’t include pierced ears, or shirts unbuttoned halfway down their chests. Then again, if her two weeks with him were any indication, Nikolai Lantsov was far from proper. 

“None of your business,” she replied. He shrugged at her noncommittal answer and leaned off to the side to stare into the clear water. _The Lilyana_ disappeared from view as the boat slid around an outcropping from the island. An invisible burden seemed to lift itself from her shoulders. She loved her crew, but sometimes it was all too much. Perhaps she needed this reprieve just as much as Nikolai did. 

Soon, the hull scraped sand and they both jumped overboard to push the rowboat up onto the beach. The cove was just as she remembered it- pale sand surrounded on three sides by sheer rock walls, with plenty of small caves and alcoves to explore. No one would know they were there unless they were standing on the very edge of the cliffs above.

As soon as the boat was secure, Nikolai darted off to do saints know what. She wasn’t concerned about him somehow running off unless he’d suddenly developed the ability to scale mountains. She flopped into the sand in a shady spot and sighed, the tension draining from her body. The sand was cold through her thin clothes and cool water lapped at her feet. She closed her eyes and tried to think about things not related to their possibly impending deaths. 

She could hear Nikolai running around the beach. Occasionally, he’d call out to her in delight about new discoveries he’d made. He found the cheap jewelry and copper coins she’d buried years ago. Then he was yelling about the miniature crabs he found by the shoreline. She hoped one of them pinched him. What would she have to do for some peace and quiet?

When he eventually tired himself out, he sat down next to her in the sand. She knew she should have at least opened her eyes to make sure he wasn’t trying to slit her throat, but she was oddly at ease. A warm breeze passed by them. She tried to slow her breathing to match the crashing of waves.

“So this is your beach?”

“Correct. I’m Queen Zoya of the Driftwood and Tide Pools. You may address me as Your Majesty.” The words tumbled from her mouth like pebbles in a stream. Saints, Nikolai’s madness was beginning to rub off on her.

He grabbed her hand and her eyes snapped open. But instead of going for the knife at her belt, he brought her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to the back of it. There was a teasing glint in his warm hazel eyes. “It is truly the honor of my lifetime to meet you then, Your Majesty.”

She snatched her hand back, heat rising in her cheeks. She almost preferred when they were trying to kill each other. “Isn’t touching royalty without their permission punishable by death?”

“Oh yes,” he said with a grin. He lay down on his side and propped his head up with a fist. “A very painful one. But I can’t even begin to imagine what they’d do to someone who kidnaps a prince and brings him to a secret pirate hideaway.”

She didn’t like the way he was studying her, like he could dredge up every one of her secrets if he just kept at it. She turned her face back towards the sky and closed her eyes. “Only if that bastard Sturmhond catches me,” she grumbled. “He’s been unsuccessful for years and as far as I’m concerned, he can die trying.”

Nikolai sneezed loudly. Odd, seeing as the sun was almost directly overhead and the breeze was anything but cold. She hoped he wasn’t falling ill. She had no time to play nurse in addition to being a captain. A moment later, he scrambled to his feet.

“Stay here.” She heard him walking away.

“How dare you order royalty around?” But there was no bite behind her words as she had no intention of moving. The shadows had receded and she was now basking in the warm sun. The rhythmic sounds of nature lulled her into a sense of security, and against her better judgement, she let her mind drift off into sleep.

* * *

Zoya woke up slowly, her consciousness fighting its way to the surface as her senses slowly returned. Her mind was foggy with sleep the way it was after a particularly pleasurable nap. Her eyes fluttered open and she took in the bright sky above her as she stretched and yawned. There was still light. Surely she could sleep for another hour or two. She rolled over to her side and pillowsed her head with an arm, but that’s when she saw it. Footprints in the sand. Not hers. Nikolai’s.

She bolted upright, and to her relief, the rowboat was exactly where they’d left it. A look down at her belt confirmed her knife was still there, and her purse. And her golden ring stamped with _The Lilyana_ ’s insignia was still snug on her finger. He hadn’t taken a golden opportunity to escape. Why?

A quick look around revealed Nikolai sitting near one of the cliff walls, his back to her. She got up and dusted off her trousers. The sky was still light, but they’d need to get back to the ship soon if they wanted dinner on time. Assuming Nikolai still didn’t have some diabolical plan to kill her and steal the boar. “What are you doing?”

“Stop!” he warned as he jumped to his feet. Zoya froze, before scowling. He didn’t get to order her around. He spread his arms wide to hide whatever he was doing. “It’s a surprise. Turn around.”

She didn’t turn, just crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. He sighed. “It I was going to murder you, Zoya dear, I would have slit your throat while you slept. Less chance of you fighting back and damaging my pretty face.”

She didn’t find that very reassuring. “Maybe you like watching your victims suffer.” 

“Trust me.”

He said it simply, yet there were entire stories behind those two words. She gazed into his eyes and found nothing but sincerity and amusement. Odd for a prince who was known to lie as easily he breathed. She turned to face the sea and prayed it wouldn’t be the last foolish decision she made. 

Footsteps came closer to her, his bare feet near-silent on the sand. Her breathing quickened. What was he planning? If he was going to kill her, she would have much preferred him to have done it while she was asleep. Just when she thought he was going to stab her, his hands came down on her shoulders. She jumped.

“A bit high-strung, aren’t you?” he said with a chuckle as he gently but firmly guided her into the ocean. “We need the water for this to work.”

“For what to work?” Zoya tried to keep her voice even as they waded out further, the water halfway up her chest now. It would have been so easy for Nikolai to just hold her under the water until she stopped struggling. “Are you drowning me like an unwanted kitten?”

“Nothing of that sort. Close your eyes.”

“Nik-”

“I’m waiting.” His tone allowed no space for argument, so she sighed and did as he said. A moment later, something was placed on her hair, something light and solid that encircled her head. When she moved, there was metallic jingling noise, like chains in the wind. 

“Alright,” he said, his voice almost unbearably soft, “you can look now.”

She opened her eyes and blinked a few times until they focused on her reflection in the rippling water. A crown of driftwood rested on her brow, golden chains cleverly woven through the branches to give it a glimmering effect. Gems salvaged from her stash were strung on more chains. With each movement of her head, light reflected off the stones and sent bright flashes of color everywhere. It was beautiful. 

And when she turned back to him, he wore a crown and a wide grin. She stared.

_He_ was beautiful. 

“I crown thee Zoya Nazyalensky, first of her name, Queen of the Driftwood and Tides, Head of the Cove, Protector of the Seas, Lady of the Sands. Long live the Queen.” 

For a moment, there were only the sounds of the ocean around them. Each small undulation of water pushed her closer to him. She had to tilt her head back slightly to look him in the eye. 

“And if I’m Queen, then what does that make you?”

“Why, your loyal king consort of course.” The merry twinkle in his eye still hadn’t disappeared. Zoya might not have understood much about politics, but she knew enough to know that a queen and king consort were married. She tried to focus on the cool water in an attempt to cool the heat in her face.

“And Prince of Ravka.”

“ _Second_ Prince,” he corrected her. “Big difference. And I must say, these crowns are much more comfortable than the ones they made me wear back in Ravka.”

“Is that so?” She hadn’t noticed, but the current had slowly pulled them further out to sea until the water lapped at Zoya’s shoulders. She wasn’t quite sure where this was going, but she knew where she wanted it to end. A single step was all it took to close the distance between them.

“It’s horrible. After wearing one all day, you develop a horrible ache right-” Zoya’s breath stopped as he shifted forward until his chest was flush against hers. His hand went to cup the back of her neck. “-here.”

Neither of them dared to move, to break eye contact. Zoya could feel his heart pounding under his shirt, and she was sure hers was racing as well. She suddenly wished that time would stop for this one moment where a thousand perfect possibilities stretched before them. 

The sea chose for them. A stray wave dragged them under and pulled them further out, but Zoya wasn’t worried. In the water, everything was blissfully quiet. Lazy sunlight streamed through the surface, casting golden light around them and making Nikolai’s hair and eyes glow. His hand was still at the back of her neck, and slowly, he moved his other hand to cup her cheek. His eyes were soft.

Zoya felt like she was drowning again, but it wasn’t air she craved. She closed the distance between them, one hand knotting in his hair and the other pressed against his back to pull him closer. Kissing Nikolai brought back memories of a stormy night and freezing seas, but she shoved them to the back of her mind. She felt like she was floating, her mind fuzzy. Here, she could pretend they were just two fools in love and not pirate and prince. Locked in his arms, she found a feeling of safety she had missed. It was exhilarating, and terrifying, and magical all at once.

They stayed underwater until their lungs burned for air. They tangled again after surfacing, the need for each other a mutual one. With _The Lilyana_ out of sight, it was too easy for Zoya to forget about everyone other than the man in front of her. She could barely even remember her own name. Nikolai’s hands smoothed back her hair before his lips were on the base of her jaw, the spot under her ear. For once, she let him have it his way.

Eventually, they made their way back to shore. Nikolai was able to match her pace despite her being a strong swimmer from a lifetime on the sea. They both laid on the sand, breathing heavily. Nikolai spoke first, his voice hoarse. “So…”

“Not- Not now,” she practically begged him. She didn’t want it to end, their tenuous connection that could be shattered as easily as a hull against sharp rocks. “Just…”

He seemed to understand. A heavy silence fell between them as they both stared up at the reddening sky. Nothing had to be said.

**Author's Note:**

> go look up pirate zoya art, they're all *chef's kiss*


End file.
